Fireball
by Poisoned-applee
Summary: Cameron is a young woman that has been struggling through her entire life. After her parents kick her out because they can no longer control her and her powers, they send her to Regina Mills. How will Storybrooke react to a new girl with magic? Rated M for eventual sexual content, some offensive language, and *CAUTION* There will be mention of parental abuse.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this story, and decided to continue following it. I will be updating it, however, I am changing a lot of things around that I have previously written. Therefore, I am currently making the changes that I would like, and I'm going to re-post the new version to this story. I'm sorry for the confusion. I do hope that everyone enjoys the changes I make, though. The direction I was beginning with was strange. Anyway, here is the new Fireball Chapter one!

My apologies again,

Emma xoxo

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Once Upon a Time characters.

**Chapter 1- Making My Way Down Town**

Sadness swirled like a dark pool of fog in the depths of my mind. _This can't be happening… _Memories flash before my eyesight: "Cameron, what have you done!" "This is becoming too much" "I'm sorry, my little girl. There's nothing else that we can do for you" "You're hopeless." "You need to pack your bags, and leave as soon as possible. It's what's best for your _family_". Flames, shouts, words of hatred replayed over and over through my brain. It's as if it needed to further torture me, reminding me of all of the damage I had previously inflicted upon my once-family. "Let GO of me. I'm not a monster" "But you are, Cameron. You're not human, that's for sure" Hateful words building and building deeper within my chest, burning at the always-beating tissue until it could no longer sustain the damage. What once was my heart is now a battered, bruised, wilted mass of muscle, hardly able to continue the thudding rhythms in my chest. Choking back tears became more and more and more difficult, and after much time of holding it in, I allowed my heart to bleed through my tears.

If I were somebody else, I wouldn't even look at me right now. My eyes were almost swollen shut, my cheeks drenched with tears, my sleeves covered with the endlessly running mucus from my nose. I squinted, my eyes still foggy from the never ending condensation, at the paper clasped by my quivering hand.

"I'm sorry to do this to you, but I don't have any other option. Your father and I can no longer bear to have you within our house anymore. We have searched over the internet for someone that may be able to help you- her name is Regina Mills. We couldn't find an exact address for her residency; all we know is that she lives in Storybrooke, Maine. We wish you luck in your new home… Oh, and please, learn to control yourself, honey.

Love, Mom Julie"

Numerous times I have scanned this simple letter in order to grasp the fact that this truly is happening. I still can't fathom what I'm doing at this point. _Where the hell am I even going? Yes, Storybrooke, Maine, I got that part… But I've never heard of this place in my entire life. It's probably in the middle of nowhere; an insignificant, low-populated town that is surrounded by a vast, inescapable forest. Why would they even do this to me? I mean, they ADOPTED ME for Christ sake._ A whimper escaped my lips before I forced myself not to start a scene. One of the things that I hate most is crying in front of people, and right now the train is way too crowded. I would attract too much attention, and that's the last thing I want: peoples' insincere sympathy. _Breathe, it's okay. Things will all work out in the end. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy the change of scenery._ The thought of a new home, a new family, and a new start to my life _did _brighten my mood slightly.

_Regina Mills_… _Who was this woman, anyway? Why would my parents send me to her?! I suppose she'll be able to tell me more than anyone else can. Hey, who knows? Maybe she's hot._ A smirk widened as I thought of gorgeous women- curvaceous, of course- welcoming me to their household. "Oh, hey! You must be Cameron… Wait, isn't that a boy's name? Oh well, would you like to come in and relax. Yes, we can get you comfortable quickly..." _Shit. _I tend to have a problem with overthinking things, especially inappropriate thoughts at the most inconvenient times. My cheeks immediately flooded with embarrassment. _NO, no… Please, not here, of all places!_ I clenched my fists and refocused my thoughts in order to control the unwanted outcome. After a moment, I could sense my temperature cooling down, and my stress dwindling for the time being. _Whew. _Some cocked their head in my direction, but that wasn't a concern anymore. I would rather have people think I'm crazy than have them _see _how I truly am a freak.

After the train arrived at the proper station- in _I don't know the hell where I am_ land- I glanced around at the commotion stirring about. Everyone seemed to be so determined to get to their destination, while I stood, dead confused and unknowing of where I really want to be. Fighting back tears, my lips pursed before I stepped warily to an information desk.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know where I can get a taxi," My words came out more confidently than I really was.

"You would like a ride? Okay, I can call a taxi service and have one here for you shortly," The woman behind the counter gave a well-practiced smile, and then dialed the number for my lift.

_The clouds look so dreary today…_ My legs directed me across the train station for a few steps before I realized I had almost forgotten my suitcase. Eager to go outside, I forced myself backwards at my lonely luggage, and sprinted out the sliding glass doors. _It's raining! _I practically shouted inside my own head before I walked to an area with an open sky. The cool droplets that were falling gracefully onto my cheeks and forehead immediately soothed me. A deep breath swelled within my gut while my body unwound. In the rain, I can forget almost everything bad that's happening, that is, just for a moment. Once I remembered the reason I was standing there in the first place, my mood dropped, and I sulked under the roof of the station.

Shortly after my memory smacked me back into reality, a taxi pulled up to the curb. "Finally," I huffing at the weight of my overly-large bag on wheels that I dragged towards the cab.

"Here, I can get that for you, miss," the man practically groaned while he lifted the suitcase into the trunk of the hideous yellow car.

"Thank you, so much," I gratefully hesitated, for I felt really bad for that guy. That bag was not light at all; it had as much clothing as I could possibly shove into it.

"It's all… part of the job… ma'am," he panted before we got into the car.

"Uh… So, do you even know where this Storybrooke place is?" I said, concerned at the increase of the fare in my eyesight.

"No, unfortunately I don't," the stranger sighed in frustration.

"Okay, thank you for the ride then. I will just get out here," My finger pointed its way at the nearest curb.

"Are you sure, miss?" A hint of concern sounded through his voice.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll ask someone else for directions. I can't afford to just ride around anymore…" I dropped money into the lap of the driver, and stepped out of the car.

Once I got my luggage, my eyes scanned the sidewalk for people that didn't appear to be busy. They fell upon a shorter man, with a scruffy looking appearance, especially with that pepper-colored facial hair. He almost looked like one of Snow White's dwarves, with his largely-sized nose, ears, and hat.

"Excuse me, sir!" My hand waved towards him as I yelled for him, "Would you mind telling me how I can get to uh… a place called Storybrooke?"

"Hey! How do you know about Storybrooke?" The man gruffly questioned.

"Well, um, I need to go see someone there- her name is Regina Mills," My eyes searched pleadingly into his, "Please, this is really important".

"Regina, huh… Sounds fishy if you ask me. She's trouble, you know?"

"Excuse, me?" My nerves began to skyrocket, "I'm begging you. I need to see her, immediately. Can you tell me how to get there, pretty please?" My hands further gripped on the scrap paper that my used-to-be "mother" scrawled on, causing crinkles within the smoothness of the parchment.

"Hm… Well, I don't know… Hey, Sneeze," He nudged the other noticeably short male beside him, "What do you think?"

"Wh… Wha- ACHOO! What, Grumpy?" the congested man sniffed.

"Should we bring her back to Storybrooke with us?" he brusquely asked once more.

"Oh, could you?! That would be so wonderful! Please, sir, I'm begging you!" I pleaded, my eyes growing wide with angst.

"Sure, I don't see why not," The other replied without hesitation.

"Great, another one," Scruffy snarled, wishing that he'd never asked.

"Thank you so much, sir!" My arms flung around the crotchety man clumsily.

"Yeah, yeah okay. Enough of that. Let's go now," His eyes almost rolled out of their sockets as he climbed his way into their truck.

On the way back, there wasn't much but silence. I didn't want to say anything, anyway- I'd rather not get kicked out of the truck at this point. _Did they really call each other 'Grumpy' and 'Sneeze'? _I questioned my hearing. _Maybe I really am going insane from all of this. _My shoulders shrugged and I sighed. The sign reading "Welcome to Storybrooke" drifted across the window. As I called it, we're in the middle of nowhere. And guess what, surrounded by trees. In the midst of settling my chin into palm, I took a large breath and huffed it out. It's been a long day, and I still have a while to go.

"Woah!" my heart quickened as I peered at the mansion we halted in front of, "This is Regina's house?"

"Yep," an unhappy noise came from the front, "She's the mayor of this town".

"Sweet!" My hands raced for the latch of the door, and it swung open. Tripping over my own feet, I got out and marveled the sight before me.

"Good luck, seriously," the snippy man offered me my baggage.

"Thank you!" I bounced on my heels. The idea of residing in this new home elated me.

"Yeah, don't mention it, kid," He scratched the back of his head and his face turned a light pink.

Dragging my heavy-ass bag once more, but this time towards the immense house, I anxiously, and finally, made it to the door, and rang the doorbell.

A delicious voice purred into my ear, "Welcome, dear."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! I don't know how often I'll be able to write, considering I'm starting up school again and I have work. I won't forget about this story though! Enjoy~ xoxo

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Once characters.

**Chapter 2- Meeting the Mills**

A delicious voice purred into my ear, "Welcome, dear".

Regina stood in the doorway, a blood – red smirk across her face. I couldn't make out much of what she looked like, since the only illumination on her was the moonlight. From what I could see, the Mayor was breathtaking. Her chocolate eyes gleamed lustfully at me. She wore a steel-colored pencil skirt with a matching blazer, and a red V-neck underneath, which accentuated her curves awfully nicely. My eyes scaled her figure multiple times before I returned back to reality.

I shook my head before I struggled to produce the words, "Y-you were expecting me, ma'am?"

"It's Madame Mayor to you. Yes, Miss Cameron, your parents notified me of your arrival," never leaving my gaze, the woman sauntered towards me. Her hand cupped my chin, her fingers grazing my jaw lightly. I attempted to force down the lump in my throat. My over exaggerated gulp wasn't even enough to rid the annoyance. "Hmm, what a charming young woman we have here," her eyes scanned my face thoroughly, "You look very much like…"

"Mom!" Thudding from the steps could be heard from inside the manor, "Is she here yet?!" Regina immediately lost her focus on me, and her face softened as she peered behind her.

"Yes, Henry, she's here," Regina's eyes shifted to the truck behind me, "Thank you, gnomes, I can handle it from here," the Mayor's voice snarled as her upper lip curled slightly.

"Gnomes?! What the f-… You know what, Sneeze? She's not even worth our time," the cantankerous man from before growled back, and the truck doors slammed.

Startled, and almost forgetting that they were still behind me, I turned on the balls of my feet and waved, "Oh, thank you ever so much!"

"If you ever need to get out of this place, come find me," the gruff voice rang out towards me. A middle finger floated down the road and into the distance.

With a roll of her eyes, Regina turned away, "Come," the older woman ordered.

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, an adolescent boy with a goofy grin waited until I made my way inside behind Regina. "Hi! My name is Henry. Yes, I know yours, your name is Cameron- you don't even have to say it. It's nice to meet you," unable to control his eagerness, Henry practically skipped towards me and flung his arms over my shoulders.

"Oh!" My arms wrapped around his thin frame lightly, "It's so nice to meet you," a smile broadened on my face.

"I'm so glad you're here. Now, I'll have someone to talk to when mom's gone".

I glanced up at Regina from above her son's shoulder; she was beaming. I don't know whether it was from sheer love for her son, or if it was because he seemed so excited to have a companion- maybe it was both. Though, all I could tell was that he was her entire world. The way that woman proudly displayed her affection for him almost made me envious. Her eyes were lit up with so much passion, her whole world seemed to stop around this boy. It reminded me of how it was something that I never had - a mother that glowed at the idea that I was God's perfect creation. In a split second, the caramel eyes locked into mine, and almost as if she could read my thoughts, I could sense the feeling of sympathy in her gaze. Unknowing of what was happening, it took a few moments for me to gather that Henry had pulled away and spoken to me.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. What did you say, Henry?" My cheeks flooded with warmth.

"Would you like me to show you to your room?!" His hand clasped around my wrist, and my body jerked forward. I guess I had no choice, not that I minded. Giggles could be heard coming from behind me during the time of being dragged like a doll up the stairs.

We entered the room, and I was surprised, yet unimpressed at the same time. Unwillingly stepping my heavy feet into the room, I took note of the surrounding. It was dreary, to be honest - too much black and white for my taste. The bed, however, was twice the size of the one at my old "home". I hopped onto it, eager to feel its comfort. There must have been a feather topper on the mattress beneath my body because it felt as if I were sleeping on what I would envision a cloud to feel like. My eyes wandered between the walls, furniture, and overall surrounding. New ideas for the dreary room bubbled an excitement within my chest. _Maybe I can make a happy start here._

"So, this is _my_ room, am I correct?" unable to withhold my avidity, my right eyebrow raised as a retort to Regina's quizzical expression.

"Yes, dear, this is _your _room," she retorted with the same smug expression of tone as I did.

"I can make any changes to it that I would like?"

"I suppose I can arrange for that," she seemed reluctant to admit it, but it is _my_ room now, after all.

My hands clasped together, "Oh, yay! This should be fun," a grin grew on my facet, making the numerous, unrelated questions that soared in and out of my brain.

Henry seemed as eager as me, and he definitely showed it, "Mom, we can all work on it together!"

"Yes, darling, if that's what you both would like," Regina, bracing herself for what was going to be planned, shifted on her feet and crossed her arms.

"Lighten up a little. It's always fun to make some changes".

"Yes, Madame Mayor, I think we all can have a good experience from this," my evil smirk directed towards Regina. Her facial features screamed unhappiness for change to _her_ perfect home, but it was obvious she wanted to make my stay more comfortable.

"All right, we can make some changes, but it's time for bed, Henry,"

"I'm not a kid anymore," he slumped as he made his way towards the hallway.

"I need to have a discussion with Cameron, alone. At least go do something, preferably chores,"

"No, that's okay; I'll read some comics until I fall asleep. Good night, Cameron,"

"Night, Henry," I raised my fist out towards him.

"Uh… What?"

"It's a fist bump…"

"Oh, right!" He sprang over and bumped his knuckles against mine.

Regina closed the door behind Henry, and made her way over to me. Her heels made a prominent click-click-click on the hardwood.

"So, Miss Cameron, please tell me why I am making your acquaintance tonight," the older woman's eyes scrutinized mine.

"I- well… Uh," My hands instinctively clutched the bottom of my sweatshirt.

"Sweetheart," placing a hand atop of mine as a source of comfort, "Whatever has happened for your parents to send you to me, you can tell me."

Trying to avoid contact, I forced myself to give her an explanation, "Well, there's something wrong with me," My body, especially my face, began to flush with anxiety.

"Ouch!" Regina yanked her hand away. It was almost as if a light bulb went off in her head. She knew immediately what was wrong with me. At first, the Mayor looked at me with horror, but then her expression softened. This made me even more anxious.

"Regina, I…" Holes burned into my jeans where my hands were placed on my thighs.

"Cameron! Quick, go to the shower," her hand grabbed mine, and after wincing, she led me to the bathroom connecting to my bedroom.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you," Tears flooded out of my eyes. All of this happening while my clothes were singeing off of my body. She rapidly turned on the cold water to the shower, and led me in.

"You didn't hurt me, dear. I'm sorry, I don't know exactly how to control a situation like this at the moment, so could you please try to relax for me?"

I tried to calm down, except the tears only escaped my eyes faster.

"Regina, what's wrong with me…?"

I could feel that Regina was at a loss for words. She leaned her body against the wall and stared at the ground, defeated.

"Regina!" Even more frightened, my body heat became even more intense. Although there was cool water running over me, the flames only grew stronger, and they engulfed my clothes.

Seeing the turn of events, the woman regained her composure, and looked right into my pleading eyes. "You need to come to terms with your emotions. I know things are really crazy right now. You will- no, _we _will learn how to control this. You're not alone, okay, dear? I am here to help you, and so is Henry. We are here to guide you through this storm of emotions. You're not a monster. I am just like you; I have magic too, and I am able to control it. I can teach you. Cameron, _calm down_."

Something in the urgency of her voice snapped me. _I need to get it together. She doesn't see me as a monster… For the first time in my life, I'm normal to someone else…_The flames covering my body began to subside as I felt my emotions become more stable. _I can learn how to control this… and think of how awesome that would be to have magic, real, controlled magic_. The thought of being able to control my life-destroying flames was overwhelmingly calming. Before long, my body began to shiver underneath the chilly shower water. A concerned smile grew across Regina's cheeks and she gripped my hand between hers.

"You did it," a sigh escaped her lips.

"Yeah, I did," I mustered, feeling proud of myself. That is, until I realized I was naked in front of her, "Ohmygosh. Wait, I'm naked," I could feel my cheeks redden as I attempted to cover my privates.

That snapped Regina's attention back to the situation entirely, "It seems that you are," returning the shower curtains to their proper closed position, she managed to get out, "You get dressed. I'll be right outside of your room," and with that, the Mayor, somehow collectively, exited the room, leaving me with an empty feeling inside.

Quickly drying myself and throwing on baggy clothes, my mind reminded itself that I would do anything not to be alone. A tear slid down my cheek at the thought of it. My whole life I've been cast aside. I've never really had a parental figure, and now's the chance to have one. It terrified me, but elated me all at once. I finally have a chance to have a normal family, but there's the possibility that even they won't be able to handle me. Thoughts regarding my future swirled around my brain.

"Is everything okay in there?" a muffled voice interrupted my train of thought.

"Yes," I replied, wiping the seemingly never ending tears from my face. Maybe she heard me sniffing or something...

"May I come back in?"

"Of course," I strode over towards the bed, and flopped back onto it.

Regina stood in the doorway for a moment, gazing down at me. Her complexion was one that projected jealousy, and it made me curious about what her brain was discerning.

"Uh, why are you looking at me like that?"

A sigh escaped her lips before she made her way towards the edge of my bed, "well, dear, it's complicated to explain".

"You can tell me, Reg- Madame Mayor,"

"You would only look at me as if I'm a monster," brown orbs glowered in my general vicinity, but not directly at me, "There was a point in my life where…" a wave of sadness washed upon her features, drowning the jealousy that once burned in her eyes.

She thought for another moment, recovered, and then spoke to me in a direct tone, "Cameron, I highly advise that you seek counseling. It's difficult to control magic if you have none over your emotions, which is an area that I am unable to facilitate you with. Almost all forms of magic are based upon emotion, and without its management, you could put yourself in danger".

"Are you going to teach me magic?"

"Yes, that's what you're here for," her arms crossed as she became more impatient with the conversation.

I couldn't handle her stare any longer- it kept slashing at my insides, "alright, well, I'm exhausted. I guess we can finish this conversation tomorrow".

"Alright, dear, good night," she turned away, and closed the door behind her. The clicking of her heels grew quieter. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, for a hole dug deeper and deeper into my chest the more the footsteps faded down the hallway. _Why do I feel so empty…? _


End file.
